[BillB]

Has anyone else noticed that the bottom of door rubber seal sticks out and shows. Very sloppy engineering, never saw this on any other vehicle.

 

[jeffiam]

Has anyone else noticed that the bottom of door rubber seal sticks out and shows. Very sloppy engineering, never saw this on any other vehicle.

Noticed this on the top of my driver side door.

 

[BillB]

I dont have that one, maybe they can be re-installed neater by dealer?

 

[jeffiam]

Mine pokes out at the top when i close the door, instead of sealing "cleanly".
kinda dissappointing. thought i bought a honda .

 

[NJDevil5]

Mine peaks out of the bottom on all 4. Fortunately I have the Black one so it's not as noticeable.

 

[denvrfan]

Haven't noticed this but I do have to periodically pop the sealer that runs across the bottom of the driver's door back into it's hole.

 

[jeffro]

I think Honda designed the seal that way on purpose. Due to the styling and cut-line of the lower edge of the door, the protruding seal offers stone chip protection to the vulnerable lower edge.

Just a guess.

Jeffro

 

[denvrfan]

After I read this, I took another look. I agree that it is designed this way. Take a look at the bottom trim. I has a lip on it that forces it out under the bottom of the door.

On another note, I'm a little surprised at the reaction voiced by several posters here. Just like any other mass produced vehicle, Honda's aren't perfect- they're just better than most. I've owned 2 new Honda's since 2001 that had significant rattling/other cosmetic noises that you typically wouldn't expect out of a brand with this type of reputation for solid construction. My 2001 Accord contained some of the cheapest interior materials that I've seen on an "import". Frankly, I don't buy Hondas expecting cosmetic perfection. I buy Hondas due to their reputation for drivetrain durability and reliability. While the body may crumble around me, I have supreme confidence that the engine will last forever with minimal pampering.

 

[captmiddy]

On another note, I'm a little surprised at the reaction voiced by several posters here. Just like any other mass produced vehicle, Honda's aren't perfect- they're just better than most. I've owned 2 new Honda's since 2001 that had significant rattling/other cosmetic noises that you typically wouldn't expect out of a brand with this type of reputation for solid construction. My 2001 Accord contained some of the cheapest interior materials that I've seen on an "import". Frankly, I don't buy Hondas expecting cosmetic perfection. I buy Hondas due to their reputation for drivetrain durability and reliability. While the body may crumble around me, I have supreme confidence that the engine will last forever with minimal pampering.

I can ditto most of that, I will also state that I have never found Honda to have great taste in internal materials. They are rugged usually, and fairly well fitting, but I always found them a little cheap. My aunt has an old 1980s Honda with tons of miles on it, and even that one has a pretty blah interior. And I still have plastic rattles in my 2003 Civic Hybrid which drive me batty, but not batty enough to keep taking it back to get it fixed. That said, the vehicle has been pretty much maintenance free, I take it in once a year to have the oil changed and that is it. Much better than the Subaru I trade for the Ridgeline.

 

[jeffiam]

Honda claims 4/5 years of development for the RL. Just expected more out them. was expecting more than typical shortcomings. those may be acceptable shortcomings for the civic, but this is a 30 + thousand dollar vehicle.

 

[captmiddy]

Honda claims 4/5 years of development for the RL. Just expected more out them. was expecting more than typical shortcomings. those may be acceptable shortcomings for the civic, but this is a 30 + thousand dollar vehicle.

10 years ago I would have agreed with you. $30k+ vehicles are no longer the luxury arena. Luxury cars start in the 40s and 50s these days. I remember when a Civic was under $10k now a well equiped Civic will run you $20k. Vehicle prices are definitely keeping pace with inflation. This again opens a market for low price product in the 10s, thus Scion and the likes. Not that they aren't quality products just that they are cheaply built and thus cheaply sold.

You try the fit and finish in the Ridgeline against several other 30k+ trucks and you will find that it meets or exceeds the competition. And you can bet Honda didn't spend 5 years trying to figure out how to put door trim on. In fact this was the least likely area they spend any real time on. Doors are doors. And as to the finish of the first year run of a vehicle this is more about working the bugs out of the manufacturing facility and retooling rather than reengineering anything. None of the people building the Ridgeline today have ever built the Ridgeline before. It isn't like you just jump from one platform to the next without batting an eye.

Honda has shown a commitment to quality and listening to customers and trying to correct their concerns. It may not show up in every single vehicle off the dock or off the truck, but it certainly shows in the overall quality and dedication of the line of vehicles they produce. If you look through history of vehicles, the first year off the floor of any vehicle tends to be riddled with bugs, minor issues and the like. Even Ford had problems with the Focus when it first started to roll out, and that was really just a redesign of their long run Escort line.

 

[BillB]

I'm with you on that. My wife has a $50K+ Volvo XC90 V8 and the fit and finish of that truck blows the RL away, but I wouldn't pay $20K for cleaner trim rubber - I just hope this is not one of those tip of the iceburg signs of poor engineering. Thanks to all for post replies and I hope this is the biggest complaint I have to contribute.

 

[Ultra-HOG]

I agree that the lower door seals look like they were designed to stick out below the bottom of the door. Even though mine is black I do not like the appearance of the seal. With it's varied surface texture it tends to catch your eye and looks out of place. It is a small detail but I would think that it could be designed to be out of sight.

Another small detail that I wish they would have designed differently is the mirrors. After washing the vehicle no matter how much I rinse them out, even with the Mr. Clean final rinse spray and a thorough dry, they drip water and streak the front doors. If I drive before they are completely dry inside they spot the entire door. Again, just a minor detail but it is something that could be improved.

If these are the biggest kind of problems that we have no wonder why we are so excited about owning a Ridgeline!

 

[denvrfan]

If these are the biggest kind of problems that we have no wonder why we are so excited about owning a Ridgeline!


AMEN!

 

[bellteck]

When I picked mine up at the dealer they had a redrock in the showroom and the back door would not shut because that seal was installed wrong. No problem with mine though - guess the seal guy at the factory works around a good looking interior girl LOL !!